The City will open the doors to 14 historic buildings and cultural sites for free public tours Saturday, Oct. 25, during the eighth annual Doors Open Riverside event from 1 to 5 p.m.
The event, which drew more than 1,000 visitors last year, provides special access to architectural landmarks and cultural sites throughout the city, including the nationally significant Harada House, the Depression-era Peter J. Weber House and the 1862 Trujillo Adobe.
"Locations must be accessible if offering interior tours," said Janice Penner, executive director of the Riverside Downtown Partnership, one of the event's organizing partners along with the City and the Mission Inn Museum and Foundation. "Several locations haven't participated due to restoration including the Cesar Chavez Center and the Museum of Riverside this year."
Most participating sites will offer docent-led tours from 1 to 5 p.m., though Calvary Presbyterian Church at 4495 Magnolia Ave. will offer a single tour at 2 p.m. limited to 15 people who must pre-register by sending an email to janice@riversidedowntown.org. The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture will open only at 5:15 p.m.
The event began in 2016 through the efforts of Scott Watson, the City's historic preservation officer; Nanci Larsen with the Mission Inn Foundation; and Penner. Their collaborative work earned the 2019 Governor's Historic Preservation Award, California's highest recognition for historic preservation efforts.
While Riverside pioneered the Doors Open concept in California, it's no longer alone. Doors Open California launched in 2022, inspired by the local event, though it takes place in September when Penner said the weather is "too hot for the Riverside event." The Weber House participates in both programs.
Individual locations provide their own personnel to monitor the sites, which typically see between 250 and 500 visitors throughout the day, according to Penner. The distributed nature of the event helps manage crowds while allowing visitors to explore at their own pace.
Participating locations span from religious buildings to civil rights museums. The complete list includes:
Downtown Sites:
- Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, 3855 Market St.
- Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, 3933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 103
- Harada House, 3356 Lemon St.
- Mission Inn Foundation & Museum, 3750 Market St.
- Peter J. Weber House, 1510 University Ave.
- Riverside Community Arts Association Gallery, 3860 Lemon St.
- Riverside Main Library, 3900 Mission Inn Ave.
- UCR Arts (California Museum of Photography and Culver Center of the Arts), 3824 Main St.
- Universalist Unitarian Church of Riverside, 3657 Lemon St.
- The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, 3581 Mission Inn Ave. (5:15 p.m. only)
- Trujillo Adobe, 3669 Center St.
Additional Sites:
- Calvary Presbyterian Church, 4495 Magnolia Ave. (2 p.m. only, pre-registration required)
- Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, 4414 14th St. (1-3:30 p.m.)
- First United Methodist Church of Riverside, 4845 Brockton Ave.
Doors Open events originated in France more than 30 years ago and have since spread across Europe, North America and Australia. The programs aim to increase awareness of historic architecture and communities' collective heritage.
More information: Visitors can stop by the information center at the Mission Inn Foundation & Museum, 3750 Market St., to claim a collectible Doors Open pin while supplies last. For details and maps of participating locations, visit riversideca.gov/doorsopen.
